Gasket pressure control



April 9, 1940. H. BOHMER, JR., x-:r AL

GASKET PRESSURE CONTROL Filed April 4, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 13.71: 2 pincoii,

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS:

ATTORNE S.

H BOHMER, JR Er AL GASKET PRESSURE CONTROL Flled Aprll 4 '1938 WITNESSES: I WML/.jw WIM April 9, 1940.

April 9, 1940.

H. BOHMER, JR., El' AL GASKET PRESSURE CONTROL Filed April 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ffa m.

Patented Apr. 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GASKET PRESSURE CONTROL Henry Bohmer, Jr., Woodbury Heights, and

Stanley S. Lippincott,

to Flexitallic Gasket Company, Camden, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 4, 1938, Serial N0. 199,896

4Claims.

`10 the best results. `This has been recognized by providing joints bolts oi diiferent sizes for difrent service conditions, .and by using wrenches of different lengths to tighten the bolts. This, however, is but a crude and unsatisfactory way 15 of determining bolt stresses and gasket loadings.

In accordance with our invention, we provide the gasket not only with a packing to make the y joint pressure-tight, but also with a compression gauge or stop for determining and limiting the 20 bonding pressure on the packing and the stresses and strains in the joint bolts. This assures employment of sumcient pressure, while at the same time preventing injurious or undesirable overloading of the packing or of the bolts. The 25 gauge device may be integrally included in the structure of the gasket, or may have the separate or separable character of an adapter. so that a given gasket packing may be equipped with any of several suitable adapters. according to the 30 service pressure under which it is to be used in a particular case. In suitable forms of embodiment, such as hereinafter disclosed, the adapter serves to center the gasket properly in a joint, and for easy identification of the gasket after 35 installation, without disassembling or disturbing the Joint. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of certain illustrative species or forms of embodiment, and from the drawings. All the 4o features and combinations shown or described are of our invention, so far as novel over the prior art.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a facial view ot a flanged pipe joint including one form of gasket 4K embodying our invention, the joint bolts being shown in section.

Fig. II shows a partial section through the joint illustrating in Fig. I, taken as indicated by the line and rarrows 'l1-II in that figure.

G Fig. III shows a section through the gasket illustrated in Fig. I, taken as indicated by the line and arrows ITI-lII in Fig. I, on a larger scale. v

I"ig.IVisafacialorsideviewofagasket u somewhat diierent from that illustrated in Figs.

I-III; and Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional view through-the gasket shown in Fig. IV, taken as indicated by the line and arrows V'-V in that figure.

Fig. VI is a diametral sectional view illusg vtrating yet another form of gasket, the outer `and central portions of the gasket being omitted for the sakeof compactness of illustration.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary facial or side view of the gasket shown in Fig, VI, with one of the parts partially broken away and in section along the central plane of the gasket.

Fig. VIII is a view similar to Fig. VII with one of the parts of the gasket omitted.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary facial or side view of yet another form of gasket; and Fig. X is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale, the plane yof section being indicated by the line and arrows X-X in Fig. IX.

Figs. I and II illustrate a pipe joint consisting of hanged pipe sections II, II secured together by bolts I2. In this particular joint, the ends of the pipe4 sections II, II have integral end flanges I3, I3, and the bolts I2 extend through separate annular flanges I4, Il engaged around the pipe sections and bearing on said iianges I3, I3. However, it will be understood that the particular construction of the joint is immaterial, so Iar as our present invention is con- Ceilied.

Between the joint flanges I3, I3 is interposed our gasket comprising a packing ring I5 and a spacing or gauge ring I6. 'Ihe packing ring I5, which is relied on to make the joint fluid-tight under service pressure in the pipe-line, is held elastically compressed between the iianges I3, I3 by the tension on the bolts I2. The spacing ring I6, shown as a iiat metal ring that is substantially incompressible, serves as a stop piece to limit the pressure which can be put on the packing ring I5 when the bolts I2 are tightened up: i. e., its thickness is determined according to the design of the packing ring and the pressure in the pipe line, so that it serves as a compression gauge to assure a correct bonding pressure on the packing ring.

As shown in Figs. I, II, and III, the flat packing ring I5 is composed of convolutions of metal strip Il, preferably alternating with suitably heat-resistant compressible strip material I8 50 such as asbestos. The metal strip convolutions I'I are embossed circumferentially and outward, and are interlocked by internesting interengagement. In the present instance, the embossment ofthemetalstrip I1 consistsofalongitudinal rib II along the center of the strip, of troughlike arcuate cross-section, although other forms of ent might be used. Preferably, the convoiutions I1 are all formed of one continuous asbestos strips Il are shown at opposite sides of theribll. Theasbestosstrips Ilmaybe omitted between some of the innermost and outermost convolutions I1, as shown in Fig. III. 'l'haends of the innermost and outermost convolutions I1 may preferably be secured (as by welding) to the convolutions directly within them, to prevent uncoiling of the metal strip I1 either `inward or outward. and to limit expansion ofthe packingring I5. as indicated at 2l. The packing ring Il is elastic and compressible axially, by

arcane length of metal strip. spirally wound. Separate virtue of the elasticity and the longitudinal embossment of the eonvolutions I1. The particular construction of packing ring'Il here illustrated corresponds substan and described in our Patent No. 2.027.299, granted January 7. 1933 As shown in Figs. I,.I I, and III, the rings I5 and I5 are engaged edgewise one around the other, and are interlocked at their interengaged edges, by appropriate formation of the edge 2I of the spacing ring Ii and engagement thereof with the corresponding edge (convolution) of the ring I5. In the instance illustrated in Figs. I. 1I, and III, the spacing ring I6 surrounds the packing ring I5 and peripherally engages the joint bolts I2, so as to center the packing ring I5 y.

properly between the joint ilanges I2, I2; and the inner edge of the ring It is recessed or grooved to engage over the embossment I9 at the outer edge of the ring' I5. The proper thickness for the spacing or gauge ring I6 in each particular case is easily calculable from the design of thepa'ckingring I5 andtheservicepressurein the pipe line, upon the principle that the elastic pressure between the flanges I2,V I3 and the edges of the convolutions I1 should make their friction with the pipe surfaces at I2, I2 more than suillcient to resist the internal uid pressure on the annular area of the packing ring I5 when compressed in the joint. Any one of several spacing with their adjacent inner corners reduced (in acurve resembling an ogee) to provide the interlocking groove 2| when they are assembled. If desired, they may be detachably secured together, as by rivets indicated at 23. 'Ihese rivets 22 may be only slightly headed in their countersinks in the rings 22, 22, so that they can easily be driven out of their holes when it is desired to separate the rings.

As shown in Fig. I, thespacing ring I5 has a radial projection 26 which extends between the bolts I2 out beyond thc joint ilanges Il, Il, and may carry markings 21 on its laterally exposed outer portion, for identifying the gasket.

Figs. IV and V illustrate another construction of a spacing ring I8 in parts displaceable relative to one another to release them from interlocking engag'cment'with the packing ring I5. Here the v packing ring'l'a consists of semi-circular arcuate segments: Ila. b whose ends are reduced and interlapped.' At `one side oi the ring, the ends of the segmentsiia, I 5b may be pivoted together, as by a rivet 2l.' When the assembly `of parts It. and It is placed vin a joint amongst the `ioint bolts I2, the latteilold the parts lia, Ib together* properly interlocked 'with the external embossment I! of the packing ring I6. -10

Figs. VI, VII. and VIII illustrate yet another way of detachably interlocking the packing ring I5 with the spacing ring I5. Here the spacing ring I5 may be an unbroken annulus, all in on'e piece, with a groove 2I in its inner edge. As best 15 shown in Figs. VII and'VIII, the packing ring I5 has a lengthof outward and longitudinally embossed convolution strip material attached to the outer edge of the packing ring. as 'byspot f welding at 2|, and extending around-and along 20 the outer edge of `said packing -ring to lts own v free end. 22. As shown'in Fig. VIII. this strip III consists of a portion of the outermost convolution of the packing ringitself. prolonged beyond its i attachment to the underlying convolution I1 at 25 2li. The outside diameter of the packing ring I5- ls somewhat` less than the` internal diameter ofV the spacing ring l5 at the sides of its groove 2|, so that by pressing the springy strip III in against the edgeof the packing ring I5, the latter can be s0 inserted into the spacing ring I6 and interlocked with it by engagement of the external emboss mentsv of the packing ring I5 and of the strip 30 ,-in the groove 2l. v'With equal faculty, the packring I5 can be disengaged from the spacingA 35 ring I5 and removed therefrom.' when desired... Figs. IX and X illustrate a reversal of the construction shown in Figs. I, 1I. and III,l in which the spacing ring I6 is arranged inside the packing ring I5, instead of outside as in Figs. I-VIII, and 40 has its outer edge provided with a ridge or tongue '25 for internally engaging in the groove in the inner edge of the packing ring formed by the longitudinal outward embossment I9 of its metal strip convolutions I1. Thus arranged within the packing ring I5, the spacing ring It serves the purpose of a gauge in preventing the packing ring I5 from being over-compressed between the pipe ends sion gauge, in any of its possible forms, the gasket is placed in the Joint and the joint-bolts I2 are initially drawn up, as usual. by going around the join with a wrench of the usual proper length, until the parts have been brought to a bearing all around. The workman is instructed that after proceeding thus tar he is to continue going around the joint until a solid, unyielding resistance to further tightening oieach bolt I2 is detected. and then to stap. such solid reslst- 00 ance all around the joint denotes that the joint iianges I2, I l have come to bear on the unyielding spacing ring I6, and that the packing ring I5 has everywhere been compressed to the correct bonding pressure. forts to tighten up on the Joint bolts I2 could at most only strip their threads, without further compressing the gasket packing I5. By desisting from tightening the bolts just 'as soon as a solid r resistance is met with at each. overstressing or 7 overstraining of the bolts is deiinitely avoided. Having thus described our invention, we claim:- l. A 'packing gasket comprising a compressible packing component and a non-compressible" gauge component. one within thev other. the

In using a gasket equipped with our compresl0 Thereafter, any further efu gauge component being composed of complemental sections which jointly provide means for circumferentially interlocking with the packing component, and said gauge component being of a thickness less than that ot the packing component to limit the extent to which the latter may be compressed; and means for securing together -the two sections of the gauge component.

2. A gasket according to claim l in which the gauge component comprises two sections which meet in the central plane of the gasket.

3. A gasket according to claim 1 in which the gauge component comprises two at sections which meet in the central plane of the gasket, and in which said sections jointly provide a circumierential recess which engage a corresponding circumferential ridge about the packing component.

4. A packing gasket according to claim 1 in which the gauge component comprises semicircular segments pivotally connected together at onel end for capacity to be assembled around the packing component after the latter is formed and said sections have the free ends reduced and intex-lapped whereby said gauge component is rendered readily applicable to, or removable from, the packing component.

HENRY BOHMIEIR, JR. STANLEY S. LIPPINCOTT. 

